Queers for Palestine's Influence in Ottawa's Pride Parade Cancellation

"I don't think we want to have a situation where anybody can just block a parade -- especially Capital Pride -- put a bunch of demands on the table, and the parade doesn't move forward unless people get into those demands. I don't think that's acceptable."

"I don't think that's a proper way to advocate or discuss the issues that are important to those people."

"If you start licensing people to block parades and other events and say we'll do whatever you ask, where does it end?" 

Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe

Mayor Mark Sutcliffe addressed Sunday's parade cancellation during a news conference at city hall on Monday. (Arthur White-Crummey/CBC)

"As a community organization, we strive to engage with our community members in good faith and to balance the various interests and demands that are made of us while also organizing one of the largest festivals in our city."

"Throughout the summer, we had several meetings with Q4P [Queers for Palestine], along with other community groups to discuss the issues that are important to them."

"Unfortunately, the group refused to have a meaningful discussion about how to move forward. After over an hour of attempting to resolve the stoppage, it became clear that Q4P was unwilling to engage in a good faith conversation and was insistent on misrepresenting our discussion."

Capital Pride clarification statement

A pro-Palestine protester holds a 'No Pride in Genocide' sign during a march following the annual Capital Pride Parade in Ottawa on Sunday, Aug. 24, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Spencer Colby

 

A year ago, the organizers of the annual Capital Pride parade when pressured by pro-Palestinian groups agreed to issue a statement at their behest, censuring Israel for its conflict in Gaza. As a result, Jewish gay groups felt excluded, and the Jewish community censored the parade organizers for bringing international politics and a foreign war into a gay community-organized event meant to support that community. Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe declined to attend, as did the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, the Ottawa Hospital and political party representatives.

 

This year no such declaration and support of the BDS movement was included; lesson learned. After all, no one can be totally ignorant that the treatment of LGBTQ2S+ scored 19 out of 100 by Equaldex, an online resource tracking their treatment. Queers for Palestine, however, in the nation's capital was outraged that Capital Pride capitulated to critical opinion, refusing to repeat its support in this year's Pride Parade. They chose to block the parade shortly after it began, with demands that parade officials meet their 'demands'.

 

Protesters holding signs and Palestinian flags, the signage reading "no pride in genocide", and a banner reading "all of us or none of us" and "stone wall was an intifada", aggressively blocked the proceedings. Chants of "free, free Palestine", "long live the intifada", and "from the river to the sea, Palestine will be free" rang out to an unappreciative audience. "We will not leave until our elected officials and Capital Pride come down and meet our demands", Masha Davidovic, Queers for Palestine-Ottawa insisted.

 

A Pro-Palestine protester chants as they walk through blocked traffic following the annual Capital Pride Parade in Ottawa, on Sunday, Aug. 24, 2025. (Spencer Colby/The Canadian Press)

 

A pamphlet circulating at the Sunday protest indicated that Capital Pride was pressured by pro-Palestinian groups to host a BDS (boycott, divestment, sanctions) town hall in support of the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel, to force economic pressure on corporations, banks and others to withdraw support for Israel. Mayor Sutcliffe was called on to "apologize for last year's boycott of the parade and a call to defund Pride", and "commit to stand with protesters and all oppressed peoples, including Palestinians". 

 

Over 7,000 people, representing over 175 groups had assembled with the intention of marching in the parade. The parade hadn't managed to get very far on its route before it was interrupted by several hundred of the pro-Palestinian protesters, forcing Capital Pride to make the decision to cancel the remainder of their route, informing everyone to pack up and leave. Last year OCDSB trustee Donna Blackburn was censured by colleagues for ignoring the school board's withdrawal decision when a pro-Palestinian statement was issued by Capital Pride. She was instructed to attend an antisemitism training.  

"We are bummed, of course, but we had a blast for the block and a half that we walked, and everyone was so positive, so it was still a net win for us."

"We sang, we spread the word. It's still been a bit sad to not get to finish the run, but it is what it is."

Stefania Wheelhouse of Toto Too Theatre 

 

"[The action taken by the pro-Palestinian movement was] backwards; protesters had] hijacked [the parade]."

"I have publicly stood up for the Palestinian community in a very public way, took a lot of personal heat for doing it. I'm now a target of the Zionists. They're coming after me. But this is not the way to get people onto your side."

"Blackmailing the mayor in the middle of the parade is completely, highly inappropriate. There are ways to lobby. There are ways to advocate, and holding a parade like this hostage and blackmailing politicians in the middle of it is completely inappropriate."

"Hopefully the rest of the day we can just go about celebrating. The community organizations are down [on Bank Street] with their booths, and I'm sure the music will be good and all that stuff. It's just unfortunate the parade was hijacked."

Donna Blackburn, Ottawa-Carleton district School Board trustee  

Capital Pride's annual parade launched from City Hall Saturday but ground to a halt near Parliament Hill after pro-Palestinian demonstrators blocked the route, Sunday, August 24, 2025. Photo by Ashley Fraser/Postmedia 

"My heart goes out to the many people in our city who were deprived of the opportunity to participate in this celebration of joy, resilience, and community."

"At a time when 2SLGBTQIA+ rights are under attack around the world, it's critical to show our solidarity with the community and honour all those who have achieved hard-won progress on equal rights."

"Ottawa should always be a place of inclusion, where everyone feels welcome. Let's continue to work together for a better city, for everyone."

Mayor Mark Sutcliffe